In The Ring With Eusebius McKaiser

This final episode is intended as an homage to who Eusebius was over time and space. Through conversation with Nick Ferreira, Julie Taylor and Bongani Khumalo, our host Lovelyn Nwadeyi delves into their experiences of Eusebius in the key locations that so profoundly shaped his life: Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) and his time at Rhodes University, Oxford town and University, and Johannesburg which he fondly called "Johussleburg". In this lively discussion Eusebius' friends share some of their favourite memories about him in each place, they share some intimate struggles that they journeyed through with Euby, and now reflect on the changing nature of their relationship to these different locations.

As the team behind this Finale Season, we hope this episode will help many of his fond listeners move towards a sense of closure, as it has done for us. Thank you for journeying with us so far.

Before his untimely passing, Eusebius was working on a series of essays about the different types of friendships we encounter throughout our lives . In this episode, our host Lovelyn Nwadeyi explores the different types of friendships Eusebius had with people of different age groups, genders and racial identities. In a country like South Africa, these markers matter, making friendship both a sacred and vulnerable space. Listening to Mikhail Brown, Dawn Klatzko, Scott Burnett and Nduduzo Nyanda about the nature of their friendships with Eusebius may encourage you to remain attentive to those in your inner circles of friendship.

Eusebius was a loud and proud gay man. He was often very open about the experiences, struggles, celebrations and achievements of queer people. In this conversation, our host Nolwazi Tusini, explores the wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the continent of Africa and the urgency required to engage the reality of queer people's lives today. Through reflections about the role of the law in affirming the inherent dignity of queer lives, the utility of being a publicly 'visible' queer person and the links between hypervisibility and harm, our guests Sebenzile Nkambule and Xhanti Payi take us on a journey of what they think it would take for us to access the key to each other's humanity.

Between laughter and tears, in this episode, our host Lovelyn Nwadeyi speaks to Vanita Daniels, Tshidiso Ramogale and Wiseman Zondi. Each guest offers a generous and vulnerable reflection on what it has felt like to grieve Eusebius while still celebrating his life over the past year.

Remembering Eusebius exactly one year after his untimely death on 30 May 2023 is not an easy thing to do. In this sometimes hilarious and sometimes poignant episode, Lovelyn speaks to some of the people who have had to make sense of a world without Eusebius namely: His father Donald McKaiser, his niece Jodie Colville and one of his best friends Lwandile Sisilana.

This second part of the Final Literature Corner is a combination of tributes from fellow writers, journalists and broadcasters who share what they love about how Eusebius discussed their work and what they miss about Eusebius’ contributions to the landscape of public intellectual life.

Everyone knows about Eusebius' love for books. He would regularly admonish his friends and listeners to keep reading, to stay curious, to ask questions, to challenge their beliefs and he felt very strongly that building a solid relationship with literature would enable that. To that end, this conversation pays tribute to the Literature Corner, a regular feature of Eusebius's former live radio show in which he regularly featured authors and readers to talk about books. A key component of these discussions were about the role of reading and literature in shaping the imagination. There were ways in which Eusebius often spoke of how reading helped him to imagine himself out of his reality into different worlds to cope with his life at various points. In this episode, Lovelyn speaks to Joanne Joseph: Author, Journalist and Broadcaster, Zukiswa Wanner: Author, Publisher and Editor as well as Vanita Daniels, a close friend and regular guest on his Literature Corner feature for his show. Each guest takes us on a journey about how literature shaped their lives and their friendships with Eusebius.

Happy listening! As usual, any feedback and pointers are always welcome!

Eusebius's last public contribution to the conversation about the upcoming national elections in South Africa was on 30 May 2023, the day he passed away, in which he asked if there was a viable option to the ruling party in the country. By all predictions, South Africa is likely to end up with a coalition government at a national level. We started our democracy in 1994 as a coalition with the government of national unity, are we approaching a full circle moment after May 2024? In this discussion, Lovelyn speaks to Ebrahim Fakir - Political researcher/Analyst and Mbali Ntuli, Founder of the Groundwork Collective, exploring some key questions about the performance and future of coalition governance in SA. Why hasn't our politics matured enough that we are able to do coalitions well? What does it take for political actors to collaborate properly in service of the people? How should you as a voter be thinking about the power of your vote beyond these elections?

Eusebius McKaiser was very deliberate about expressing his Coloured identity online, showcasing what it meant to him, challenging stereotypes and sometimes hilariously confirming stereotypes. In this conversation, host Lovelyn Nwadeyi speaks to three Coloured South Africans each with differing roles in the South African media landscape: Tessa Dooms a political analyst and author of Coloured: How Classification became Culture; Megan Lubke - Executive TV Producer at the SABC and Investigative Journalist as well as Lance Claasen - Station Manager at Rise FM in Mpumalanga. Each of our guests was invited to reflect on questions about representation, authenticity and what it means to be Coloured in post-apartheid South Africa. In this layered, interrogating and sometimes emotional episode, our guests unpack the history of Coloured identity in South Africa, what it means to them and how they connect to this racialised and cultural experience today.

In this episode, we spotlight key organisations in which Eusebius McKaiser was affiliated. Lovelyn speaks to Wayde Davy, Former Deputy Director of the Apartheid Museum and Zaakira Mahomed, Founder of the Mina Foundation, and explores issues these two organisations face (race, gender and period poverty) as we celebrate our 30 year old democracy. While Eusebius did not consider himself an activist, we delve into his work with the Apartheid Museum and the Mina Foundation as we remember both his selflessness and commitment to building a better and more equitable society...